Early Childhood Education

Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA)

The Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA) is a national organization that strives to improve the lives of the children and families of the South and to support the over 19,000 professionals who are members of the Southern Early Childhood Association. SECA encompasses 14 states in the Southern region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Virginia. SECA brings together preschool, kindergarten, and primary teachers, administrators, caregivers, program directors, and individuals working with and for families to promote quality care and education for young children.

SECA is committed to providing leadership and support to individuals and groups by doing the following:

• enhancing the quality of young children’s lives through early childhood care and education;

• supporting families in their roles of caring for their children;

• fostering the professional growth and status of individuals working with young children and their families;

• increasing public understanding and support for policies and programs that ensure developmentally based services to young children and their families;

• focusing on Southern issues concerning children and families.

The Southern Early Childhood Association provides the following services to members of the Association and to state affiliates:

• Three issues of Dimensions of Early Childhood, a refereed professional journal which helps translate research into practice

• Three issues of the SECA Reporter, the professional’s guide to what’s happening in the South in early childhood education

• Support for state efforts to develop positive policy agendas for children

• Member benefit programs, including discounts on training and conferences

• Specialized publications that assist professionals and practitioners in working with young children.

For more information on SECA, visit the organization’s Web site at www. SouthernEarlyChildhood.org, or write to or call the following address or phone number: Southern Early Childhood Association, P.O. Box 55930, Little Rock, AR 72215-5930, 1-800-305-SECA.

Glenda Bean